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The Fremantle Dockers today confirmed the appointment of Michelle Cowan as senior coach of the club’s inaugural WA team in the AFL’s new national women’s league.

Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich said Cowan was a standout choice to coach the club’s new women’s team, one of eight sides in the national league which is scheduled to start in 2017.

“It’s a very exciting development for the club to have the inaugural WA team in the new national women’s league,” Rosich said.

“We set a premium on securing both a high quality person and experienced coach for what is a crucial role, in the first instance to get the team up and running and for the team’s future success in the longer-term.

“Michelle was the standout candidate for the position of senior coach of our women’s team. Among her many attributes, including coaching experience, knowledge of the game and people management skills, is her proven ability to attract and retain players.”

Rosich said Cowan would work closely with Fremantle’s general manager of strategic projects Brad Paatsch, who will have executive responsibility for the women’s team and Wade Spilcker, who will be team manager under his broader responsibilities as the club’s national women’s league, academies and community operations manager.

Cowan, who has been coach of Melbourne’s women’s team since 2013 and also worked as a development coach with the Demons until earlier this month, said she was looking forward to the challenge and pleased to be returning home to Perth.